Checking In & Sharing

Dear Hyperlinked Library Class Fall 2024,

I wanted to take a moment to reach out and share some thoughts. I’ve been deeply involved in chairing two significant committees within our College of Information, Data, and Society. It’s important work, but it has required much of my focus recently. On top of that, the recent national events have weighed heavily, and I imagine they may have slowed some of you down as well. Please know that I completely understand and empathize if you’ve felt similarly.

I will continue to grade work as it comes in, so please don’t feel rushed or pressured. It has been a joy to read your reflections and exchanges in class—they are thoughtful, insightful, and full of the kind of engagement that makes this learning community special.

During challenging times, supporting each other and fostering kindness can make all the difference. Let’s continue to lift each other up and spread positivity wherever we can. You all bring such incredible energy and ideas to this class, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn alongside you.

Take care of yourselves, and please reach out if there’s anything you need.

M.

PS: I just deleted the Twitter account I have had since 2007. I learned so much from the librarians and educators on that platform over the years. But now it just does not feel right.

Image: Your professor kilted up! I ordered this from a kilt maker in October 2023 and just received it a few weeks ago. Tartan is Muted Hunting Stewart. I have found a lot of distraction and enjoyment in the kilt information communities on FB and Reddit these days.

14 thoughts on “Checking In & Sharing

  1. Terri Beth

    I hate so much what’s happened to twitter these past couple of years. It used to be such a big source of happiness (fandom) and information for me. I hate that so many of us have felt the need to leave. : (

    And I’m really struggling this semester, which makes me sad because this class and the other I’m taking were ones that I was very much looking forward to. It’s just really hard to focus. Thank you for the empathy, @michael .

    1. Michael Stephens Post author

      @terribeth I had some amazing experiences with all my fan type stuff on Twitter years ago. I will miss that. I’m sorry you’re struggling. Please do the best you can and please think of the assignments perhaps a bit of a distraction and be as creative or whatever as you’d like… that goes for everyone.

  2. Sara Schwan

    Professor,

    Thanks so much for the grace and understanding, as well as willingness to be so flexible. It is amazing and very appreciated.

    Love the kilt! My family is of the Stewart lineage, with a couple of my great aunts lived in Orkney.

    Take care,
    Sara

  3. Millicent

    @michael Thank you for your kind words and for being such an amazing professor. This is my second class with you, and I just love the way you teach and how you care about all of your students. You embody the “librarian spirit” and inspire me to be a great librarian. Also, what an awesome picture – you look so majestic!!

  4. Michelle Sosa

    Dr. Stephens,
    I cannot thank you enough for your inspirational and empathetic words. I admire the work that you do and your modules have honestly been the highlights of my day these past few weeks. That is an awesome kilt by the way! Thank you for always sharing pictures of your adventures away from class! 🙂 @michael

  5. Bethany Huang

    @michael Thank you for the check-in. This semester had me quite busy with life things outside of the course, and before I realize it Thanksgiving is here. I will do my best to get caught up on the backlog in time!

    I agree with all the above comments that your kilt photo looks wonderful! Imagine if this was the About the Author photo in your next book! 😀

    But I can also relate to the lament of Twitter, not just from a long-standing time of using the site, but how the changes are creating such a deterrent to the credibility of information. So many users and official entities were able to make use of the real-time update culture, but now that’s all being thrown into jeopardy. Migrating to another site is possible, but it also means starting up again.

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